Reviews

October 09, 2008

My many loyal reader will recall that a few weeks ago I reviewed Linda Johnston's Double Dog Dare, and said some nice things about it. I no longer have a copy of that book. Yesterday, while I was out, JoJo took it upon herself to shred Double Dog Dare and The Gangs of New York by Herbert Asbury.

Both of these books were on end tables well out of JoJo's reach, so I'm at a loss to explain how she got to them. There were also several books on the floor that she could have got to easily, but they weren't touched. I can only conclude that she selected these two books on purpose, and may have enlisted Gus to get them for her. Gus himself never shreds anything but his own leg and the occasional tennis ball.

I wonder: does JoJo's selection of these two books constitute a favorable review or an unfavorable review?

Late-breaking News: JoJo only destroyed half of Double Dog Dare yesterday. The rest she hid on the deck, where it got rained on. She brought it back in to complete the job today. What a thoughtful little pooch.

September 26, 2008

Linda Johnston is the author of a series of mysteries featuring Kendra Ballantyne, an attorney and pet-sitter, and her Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Lexie. Linda, who is also an attorney and pet-sitter with a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named Lexie, wrote a guest post here a while back.

Linda sent me a copy of her newest Kendra Ballantyne book, Double Dog Dare, to review, and I'm glad she did. The book is a whirlwind, with a plot twist every time it looks like things are about to settle into a groove. The end of every chapter, especially near the end, provides a kick into the next page until you finally conclude that, heck, I've got to find out how this ends.

Things start off briskly, as Kendra worries about the extended incommunicado absence of private investigator Jeff Hubbard, her soon-to-be squeeze-in-residence. The phone rings, and LAPD detective Ned Noralles tells Kendra that Jeff's Escalade, without Jeff but with blood and a broken window, has been found badly parked in an aqueduct north of town. From there, the twists just keep on coming as we follow Kendra on her rounds as attorney, pet-sitter, and amateur detective.

One of the delights of Double Dog Dare is that the attorney, pet-sitter and detective roles interweave and ccomplement each other in wholly unexpected ways: Jeff's disappearance may be connected with a pet-cloning business named (nice touch) The Clone Arranger (just speculating, but I think that's where the "Double Dog" part comes in); to put together her investigation, Kendra uses resources from her pet-sitting business, which in turn provides some of the contacts she needs to resolve a lawsuit against one of her clients. The subplots braid together in ways that keep you guessing while propelling you forward, and in the end everything falls into place satisfactorily and plausibly. With, much more than incidentally, the dogs at the center of every strand.

Double Dog Dare is both stimulating and rewarding, and would be a great beach book for those of you whose beaches are still warm. Otherwise, grab a modest but spritely Shiraz and a couple of dogs, curl up on the couch and read it while the wind and the rain howl outside. You'll be well compensated for your time.

September 25, 2008

The nice folks at Dr. Harvey's sent us a package of their new Barkotti to test. The description in their email said:

Barkotti are handmade biscotti for dogs made with organic ingredients. These treats are delicious and beautiful, and because they come from Dr. Harvey's you know they are the healthiest treats available. Dogs absolutely love Barkotti!

These unique biscotti treats are made with organic flours, 8 vegetables, apples, 7 herbs, bee pollen and love! Barkotti contain no preservatives, coloring agents, corn, wheat, soy, salt or sugar and are made in the USA from 100% human grade ingredients. They promote healthy gums and teeth, and because they are so delicious they make a great training treat.

We've been trying these for a couple of weeks, and here are the results:

Gus: I never met a treat I didn't like, but I like these better than most. When Cap'n Chucky holds a Barkotti and another treat side by side, I'll go for the Barkotti first. And with all that healthy stuff in them, I should be around to enjoy Barkotti for a long time.

JoJo: I'm kind of a Nervous Nelly, and coming for a snack is hard for me. When I take a Barkotti, I place it on the floor in front of me and start scoping for trouble. Then Gus takes the treat. I wolud probably like them. Maybe one day I'll calm down enough to just eat one.

Cap'n Chucky: Barkotti have a pleasant whole-grain taste and just a little sweetness from the honey. They're not much harder to chew than regular biscotti, with a healthier nutritional profile.

The Takeaway: A snack you can dip into your coffee and enjoy with your dogs. Don't dip your dogs' Barkotti into their coffee. They're perfectly capable of doing this on their own, and resent it when you presume to make decisions like this for them.